Cruel & Unusual Punishment
by The Obvious
Summary: Unoriginal, but HD have to rely on each other for more than just the basics, thanks to Dumbledore's cruel & unusual punishment. SLASH: don't like don't review
1. Cruel & Unusual Punishment

**Summary:** This is probably unoriginal, but H/D having to rely on each other for more than just the basics, thanks to Dumbledore cruel unusual punishment.

**Cruel Unusual Punishment **

Chapter One – An Example

"The Saviour of the Wizarding World and the heir to the Malfoy fortune, the richest and most prestigious family in our history, should set an example to the other students, _not _use their titles as an excuse to avoid punishment for inexcusable acts. One way or another you will be an example to the other students, even if I have to make an example of you myself. I'm sorry Harry, Draco, but it is necessary to be firm on this matter."

Both boys stood silently before Professor Dumbledore, looking at their own feet, awaiting their imminent punishment.

"It is not enough simply to punish you, I'm afraid."

Harry's heart froze. They really were going to be expelled. He was going to live with the Dursley's and be their failure nephew, probably demoted to slave, forever. His whole body had gone numb and his mind was spinning in on itself.

"What are you going to do?" croaked a very hoarse voice: the tremor was more noticeable than the words.

Harry looked up abruptly, to find the owner of this unfamiliar voice… and saw Malfoy, who he'd forgotten was even present, in his thoughts of the Dursley's. Hated and despised Malfoy, whose fault this was entirely, completely, totally and unwaveringly. But it didn't look like Malfoy. You could never feel sorry for Malfoy, or think of him as weak or even human enough to really feel any emotion… but this boy, he was near crying and looked so fragile, frail and vulnerable.

Harry just stared, as Malfoy's- no, not Malfoy, Harry decided instantaneously: Draco would be the name of this new boy, who was capable of feeling and being vulnerable and weak- Draco's lower lip trembled as Dumbledoor looked up into his shining blue eyes.

Harry decided that Malfoy would probably use the word Draco as an insult if he knew what it meant in Harry's mind.

Dumbledore smiled kindly.

"No doubt you expect to be expelled?" he let that hang for a moment and Draco gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"But, one thing even you could never call me, Mr. Malfoy, is predictable. Your punishment will be far more unusual and I expect you will think it cruel. You will learn far more from this punishment than the conventional one. You both have potential, and that is a terrible thing to waste."

Both boys were nervous. It was the 'cruel' part that worried them, but other than that, they were actually quite curious.

"Your punishment will be this: you are going to learn to like each other."

Both boys gaped.

Malfoy recovered first: "How the hell are we supposed to learn that- short of a few irreversible memory charms and some very strong, mind altering potions, of course?"

"No disrespect Professor, but nothing will ever make us like each other: not even you have that much power." Harry stated matter-of-factly.

"I didn't say I'd make you: I said you'd learn, Harry." Dumbledore said serenely from behind his desk.

"But… how?" Harry asked, utterly confused.

"Well, Harry, you learning to like one another: that was the unusual part. The means by which this will be achieved is the part you may consider cruel."

Harry's body filled with icy dread again. He could feel the cold crystals breaking his cells, reducing him to frozen mush. What was he going to have to _do_ to learn to like Malfoy?

"You will have to rely on one another completely. You will learn to see one another as human-"

Relying completely on Malfoy? They would definitely have to _make_ him do that: there was no way he was going to learn to, or just voluntarily, trust him: Harry wasn't that stupid.

"- One of you will be physically weakened and the use of his arms will be restricted, through magical and reversible means. The other will be expected to take full responsibility and care of him. Any physical damage done to the weaker boy, whist in your care, will result in an immediate reversal of roles. Any emotional damage will result in the change happening at midnight. The more you hurt one another, the longer your own debilitation will last. Whatever you do to hurt or help one another will affect how you are treated in turn no doubt. You will learn that, with this punishment, you will get what you deserve."

Both boys stood stunned again. Harry was terrified: Malfoy would just kill him. He couldn't trust Malfoy!

"You will no longer belong to the Houses of Gryffindor or Slytherin, respectively, and so, of course, neither of you is allowed to return to your former common rooms or dormitories for the duration of the punishment. Your friends will not be allowed into your common room or dormitory. You will have your own House and the ordinary point system will not apply to you; your point system will dictate how long your punishment lasts, but you'll figure out how it works as you go along.

"Good luck, boys! Report to the entrance hall in ten minutes and you'll be escorted to your new quarters. No need tocollect anything: all your belongings have already been moved."

tbc...

Please RR and i'll love you forever )


	2. Nothing, why do you cry?

Sorry this has taken absolutely AGES to update! But here it is! Chapter two at last… chapter 3 shouldn't be too long… I'm hoping )

Hope you enjoy chapter two…

**Nothing, Why Do You Cry?**

Both boys stood outside Dumbledore's office for a moment in stunned silence until-

"What the fuck just happened? I don't bloody believe it! Reduced to… having to have anything to do with you!" Draco spluttered, waving a hand vaguely at Harry.

Harry folded his arms while Draco sighed and continued to look stressed.

"This would never have happened in the first place if you _had_ just left me alone." Harry pointed out coolly "it's always _you_ who starts on _me_. Always! So don't even pretend you're not going to enjoy making my life hell!"

Malfoy rounded sharply on Harry, who was glaring at him already, and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Making _your_ life hell! Don't flatter yourself, Potter! Firstly: enjoying anything to do with you is a foreign concept…" the following words were spoken in complete exasperation "And secondly, having _you_ in your life makes it hell; nothing I could do could _possibly_ make it any worse."

Harry's eyes opened wide and his jaw dropped "What! You…My life… You… Believe me Malfoy, if anyone makes my life hell it's… well actually it's probably Voldemort, but you come a very close second! You're certainly around to piss me off more often than he is!" Harry spat venomously.

He really had had enough of Malfoy and his pompous, bratty, arrogant, snobbish, conceited and completely _unbearable_ personality to last a lifetime, and all he really wanted was never to see him again: unfortunately that was the furthest thing from what his impending future held. He certainly hated the fact that Malfoy's words seemed to confirm his growing fears that, in actual fact, everything bad in his life was his own fault, from the death of his parents, to Cedric and Sirius.

"Even Snape is only more of a pain than you 'cause he actually has power!" he added as a final barb, before turning to stride away.

"Did I hit a nerve, Potter?" Malfoy asked casually inspecting his fingernails. Harry stopped but stayed with his back to Malfoy.

"Afraid you really are the worst thing in your life? I know you're the worst thing in mine." Malfoy drawled lazily staring at Harry's back, trying to gauge his reaction.

Harry turned quickly and hurled words maliciously at the other boy "You think you're so fucking smart Malfoy! You think you're so amazing now… but I saw you in there… almost crying. I saw you… Draco. You're nothing. So don't pretend I'm worse than you."

Malfoy faltered. For a moment the words seemed to touch him and Harry saw his eyes, then nothing.

"I don't have to pretend, Potter: only Weasel and that filthy little Mudblood are worse than you... and you're nothing." He sneered.

Harry's eyes blazed and his hands itched to just thump that smug look right off Malfoy's face, but he knew he couldn't afford another fight with him, right outside Dumbledore's office no less. He knew he'd got to Malfoy: he knew it because of his eyes… and because now he was attacking where Harry was vulnerable- his friends.

"You're a sadistic fuck Malfoy; bet this punishment really suits you down to the ground! You get to have me around all the time so you can hurt me and taunt me and put me down and _try_ to make yourself feel better. But Malfoy: it won't _make you_ any better."

"Fuck you, Potter! I'd rather have been expelled!" Malfoy hissed angrily, but Harry hadn't waited for his reply; he was already stalking away.

"Whatever Malfoy." Harry muttered as he left the irate boy glaring daggers after him and began the long walk to the entrance hall. He just knew that whichever of them was weakened, Malfoy would abuse his position: Harry would either be humiliated, mocked and helpless, or a slave to Malfoy… and he wasn't sure which was worse.

**HpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdM**

"I trust it was nothing too serious that detained you?" Dumbledore said amiably, as the boys approached the entrance hall 10 minutes later than arranged.

"No, sir." Harry responded almost loudly enough to cover Draco's quiet snipe: "Potter just wanted to make a dramatic entrance, you know him."

Harry glared at Malfoy. Malfoy smirked. Dumbledore said "I'm glad to hear that boys." very pleasantly and ignored both the remark and the glare.

"Now, let me escort you to you're new house common room and dormitory." Dumbledore smiled, turned and began to walk back up the stairs.

Harry wondered how Dumbledore had got out of his office and to the entrance hall before them and without them seeing him… and why meet them in the entrance hall when he would be the one guiding them anyway; why not take them straight from his office?

"Umm… professor?" Harry started, not sure which of the questions clogging up his brain he should ask first "What's our new House called? …And who's our Head of House?"

"You're new house, Harry, will be named by young Mr Malfoy and yourself. But you must both agree on the name. As for your head of house, I'm afraid I was the only member of staff open for the position." He smiled lightly at Harry "I hope that will be satisfactory?" Harry grinned in spite of himself.

They walked for some while with only the sound of clicking boot heels and quiet shoe soles. Harry was pointedly not looking at Malfoy, who was obviously still incensed that Harry had got one up in their latest spat.

"Professor? How will it be determined which of us will be incapacitated first?" Draco asked suddenly breaking the almost silence.

"That is a good question Draco. It will be determined during your first hour in your new living quarters."

That didn't really answer his question… well vaguely, but _how_ was he supposed to act in order to get what he wanted…?

"How?"

"How what?" Dumbledore asked, obviously avoiding answering.

"How will it be determined? I didn't ask _when_, I asked _how_." Draco snapped impatiently.

"I am not, as you may suspect, Mr Malfoy, an old fool. If I intended to tell you how it would be determined I would have answered your previous question."

If Draco hadn't had so much self control he would not have been able to stop himself from blurting out 'if you said what you really meant more often, Professor, I doubt people would think you such an old fool.' Thankfully for him, only Potter was ever enough to really break his self control.

"Here we are." Dumbledore stated, stopping at a strange tapestry neither boy had ever noticed before. It depicted a young woman crying into her hands in the foreground while a battle raged behind her.

"Before we enter I must inform you of several important facts: Firstly, the entrance to your quarters will rarely be in the same place twice. The tapestry moves around the castle every time it's opened: therefore there is no telling how long it will take you to get from your rooms to your lessons or meals. This will, no doubt, make it difficult to locate; however, I believe the map Mr Potter has in his possession will have this chamber marked on it once you've named your House and will guide you to it accurately." Harry looked guilty and not particularly shocked that Dumbledore knew about the map, while Draco looked intrigued. "Please do not leave your quarters without the map. If for any reason you cannot find it, you must come to me and I will guide you myself.

"Secondly, it is not a simple password that will allow you to enter. You must remember this sequence. And lies will not gain you admittance.

"The name by which you call the figure must be the first name of the person who last called you by your first name. You would do well to remember when people call you by name: if you get it wrong she will instantly move. If you correctly address her then she will ask why you cry. When she does you must tell her the true reason you last cried. After that she will speak something relating to why you cried: you must nod and remain silent. Then the door will appear."

Dumbledore stepped up to the tapestry and stood before the young woman and spoke.

"Poppy, why do you cry?"

The woman looked up; she bore a striking resemblance to Madame Pomfrey, though her tearstained face was etched with a sadness neither boy had ever seen her display before.

"I cry for those who fight the battle. They have misunderstood. Why do you cry, stranger?" she said softly

"I cry for Marianna." Dumbledore said clearly, although he sounded pained by the memory.

"She understood. Though the battle still took her."

Albus Dumbledore nodded sadly as an ornate doorframe appeared where the tapestry had hung. The three of them stepped through, both Draco and Harry pondering the strange sequence-like password… along with the name their headmaster had given.

The sight they were greeted by as they entered the large room was impressive: their new House colours, if the common room was anything to go by, would be royal purple and something akin to platinum. Their common room was, of course, not as large as those belonging to the other houses, being that there were only two of them, but the room was no less remarkable: Tall, wide windows lit the room, illuminating plush armchairs and sofas, purple rugs covering wooden floorboards and a large hearth, currently devoid of fire. There was a large set of oak double doors beneath a wide arch at the far side of the room, which no doubt led to their dormitory.

Once they were inside Dumbledore spoke distractedly.

"This is your new home for now, boys. I'm sure you'll find your way around just fine. If you have any problems your owls will relay messages or you can find me in my office. You will know within the hour which of you is to be the initial target of the spell, after that you are on your own. I must go now, I'm afraid… business to attend to and whatnot…" and with that vague assurance he left.

"Did you think he was acting oddly after giving the password sequence? I wonder who Marianna is…" Harry wondered aloud as he stared after Dumbledore.

Malfoy sighed in exasperation.

"Who cares!" he snorted coolly "I'm going to have a look at the bedrooms."

**HpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdMHpdM**

Sorry I didn't get as far as the 'incapacitation' in this chapter… it'll be in the next one.

Please, please tell me what you thought…. I think I may have missed the mark a little with Draco's character…? I'm finding it difficult to be consistent with him… but more will make sense in that department later I think…

Please review!I want to know what you think!


	3. Can it be, is it UST?

And about a million years later we have the next chapter! It's not fab, but I don't think it's too shabby- let me know what you think, since that's what counts!

**Chapter 3 – Can it be, is it UST? …or just hate?**

"I don't believe it! We have to share a room!" Malfoy bit out incredulously from the dormitory.

Draco's heart was pounding. His face flushed. Sharing a room with Potter, for some unknown reason, made him feel even more uneasy than having to help, and be helped by, the dark haired boy.

"Well… we are the only 6th year boys in our House…" Harry said appearing in the doorway and leaning nonchalantly against the frame, arms folded.

Draco glared "Very perspicacious of you, Potter." he sneered.

"Hey, you started the stating the obvious, Mr. 'We're sharing a room' in case you didn't notice!" Harry sounded vaguely amused, as opposed to the venom his words with Draco usually held. In truth this was only because Draco was being so openly agitated, instead of, as Harry had expected him to be, relishing the prospect of making Harry's life hell.

Draco rolled his eyes "Shut up Potter: nobody cares! We have a whole House to ourselves, and yet I have to share a room with you; it's injustice! I don't _believe _this!" Draco folded his arms sulkily and walked over to the large window on the far side of the room.

"I have no idea how your friends put up with all your moaning. Honestly Malfoy, you're such a… wait I've got it… you've never had any friends!" Harry said smirking at Malfoy's back and collapsing down onto one of the wide, purple-covered four-posters.

"You're funny, Potter." Draco said in a deadpan drawl, glaring over his shoulder at the reclining boy. "What makes you think you can have that bed?"

"Why do you always pick a fight Malfoy? We're stuck with one another: deal with it." Harry said closing his eyes and putting his hands behind his head, as though he was relaxed, although really he was worried Malfoy might take advantage of his open vulnerability and physically attack him, but he had to appear to be strong and unconcerned, or Malfoy would know and definitely bother him.

"Easy for you to say, you're _usually_ stuck with a load of stupid, arrogant Gryffindor plebs! Having me here can only possibly be an improvement- a pleasure even- compared to that. But me? I normally have sophisticated, intelligent conversationalists to associate with… people with more brains and bigger vocabularies! I'm not used to this!"

Harry raised an eyebrow "Crabbe and Goyle have vocabularies? And anyway, who're _you_ calling arrogant?"

"Come on, Potter, next to you I'm positively self-deprecating…. And besides, arrogance is misplaced confidence- I have every reason to be confident." Malfoy grinned sardonically, before adding "You, on the other hand…" he trailed off and sneered down at the still reclining boy.

"Didn't your parents ever teach you, Malfoy? If you don't have anything nice to say… then shut the fuck up!"

"I was under the impression you had absolutely no experience it that department, Potter. It's obvious from your complete lack of manners that yours didn't have time to teach you anything… but with that mudblood of a mother I doubt you'd be any better off if they hadn't died-"

Before Draco could finish, he was slammed face first against the window, his right arm twisted painfully behind his back. His head smashed hard against the window, which didn't break, probably due to the amount of protective spells cast on their rooms in anticipation of their violence towards one another. Draco struggled against him, but in his fury Harry could easily overpower the slender boy, who wasn't used to having to resort to physical violence to get his way.

"Don't you dare _ever _speak about my parents that way again!" Harry spat, gripping Draco's hair in his left fist and yanking his head back, whist with his other hand he twisted Draco's arm further, pressing him against the window more forcefully.

Draco struggled again, to no avail, then breathed deeply in resignation.

"Let me go, Potter." He bit out: it was a command.

Harry half relaxed his grip, but didn't fully release him.

"Did you hear what I said Malfoy?"

Restraining himself from loosing it completely and attacking Harry physically again, he ground his teeth together firmly and growled out a low response.

"Then don't insult my upbringing either, hero boy: you're not the only one who cares about his family, you know."

"What? I didn't-"

"Yes, you did. _Didn't my parents ever teach me_? Yes, Potter, you brought it up, not me." Draco sneered "And yes, Potter, they taught me extensively: I won't ever forget what they taught me, and you won't ever know or understand it, so you can shut-the-fuck up about etiquette and upbringing because the Malfoy's wrote the book on propriety and manners… and every other fucking thing you never had to endure, hero boy- so just shut the fuck up. And get off me!"

Draco twisted and swung his shoulders against Harry's grasp, which had relaxed completely. Harry's features softened slightly and he released his grip on Draco altogether.

"Fucking hell Malfoy- can't you take a joke…It was just a phrase… it wasn't meant as an insult to your family." Harry half muttered.

"Think before you speak, Potter." Draco spat "How the hell would you have taken it?"

Harry turned his back on the other boy and strode away from the window and the confrontation, too prideful to actually apologise to his ache-rival, or admit he'd even been wrong. But Draco knew that Harry knew he was wrong, and somehow, that was almost as good as an apology at this stage: it was a victory at the least.

"Didn't realise you were so sensitive, Malfoy." Harry muttered in lieu of an apology "I'll be more careful in future; I won't even mention it when outfits make you look fat or which colours just make you look ill."

"I never look fat, Potter! And I don't wear colours that make me look ill… and besides, you're one to talk: you have the colour coordination of a gay pride flag at jubilee-"

"Didn't realise this was a gayness competition-" Harry muttered under his breath whilst Draco continued his rage-filled rant.

"-And anyway, you're the one who got offended first, so you're just as sensitive as me, if not more so- and you _never_ wear green which is your best colour, even if you're not fat!"

Harry couldn't help laughing at Draco's indignant rage. "God, Malfoy, you really are a gay boy." Harry grinned at the other boy's expression of pure fury.

"I AM NOT GAY!" Malfoy screeched, before calming and stating matter-of-factly "Malfoy's are never gay. I am not gay."

Harry just laughed "Whatever, Malfoy, whatever."

Silence reigned peacefully for a scant few moments before it was, again, broken.

"Well I suppose that once the spell takes effect, and you become even more weak and pathetic than you already are, you'll need me by your bedside to tuck you in…" it had been meant as a dig, but the awful reality was sinking in.

Both boys considered the fact that, in a short while, that jest could very well become a reality… along with goodness knows what else they'd have to do for each other…

"Wait! You don't think we'll have to…" audible gulp "dress each other… and stuff…" blush "and what about going to the loo…"

"Never knew you were such a prude, Draco" Harry muttered half-heartedly, just to get at the other boy, because, in truth, the idea of dressing or being dressed by Draco Malfoy made him feel slightly queasy and very uncomfortable.

"Just 'cause you want to touch my body doesn't mean I have to enjoy it… or feel uncomfortable about it… or not throw up about it…" Draco actually did look slightly ill, as he stood by the window staring in disgust at Harry, who was removing his glasses and lying back with closed eyes against the plush duvet.

"Get used to the idea, Malfoy, 'cause there's nothing we can do about it. This isn't some hideous nightmare that you can wake up from and thank god you didn't really have to…" Harry couldn't bring himself to say what he thought they'd have to do for each other: he let the unfinished sentence hang uncomfortably between them.

Then tried again: "This is reality and we're going to have to…y'know…help each other… and you're gonna have to get used to it…" he finished lamely, horrified that he was the one trying to talk Malfoy around when he himself just wanted to run a mile.

Harry groaned "Screw it, I'm not gonna pretend this is ok: I hate the idea as much as you do. I have no idea why I'm trying to tell you it'll be ok. It won't. We're screwed." Harry bent his right arm over his face, covering his eyes, whist still lying on his back on the bed.

They both stayed still, until Draco slumped onto the unoccupied bed nearest the window. He sat wide-eyed and thought. He knew going over it all in his mind, dreading it, wasn't helping. So he spoke:

"What should our House be called?"

"What?" Harry said without moving his arm from over his face.

"What should we name our House? We've got to do it otherwise it won't show up on your map, which, by the way, I demand to see in the very near future." Draco's tone was clipped, but Harry didn't react.

"We could call it…umm…" Harry began, his voice had a slight tremble to it, Draco noticed. His eyes narrowed: what could Potter possibly be thinking… or hiding?

"'Umm'? I don't agree to _that_ name." Draco said scathingly, expecting Harry to sit up, glare at him and give some smartarse comment. When he still didn't move Draco knew his suspicions were not unfounded. He crawled silently across his bed hoping against hope that he was right.

"You're the one with the huge vocabulary: you think of something." Harry said sounding almost disinterested: Draco thought he detected a note of panic.

Draco grinned with glee, looking at the clock that hung on the wall opposite them. He slipped silently from his bed, across the small gap between his and Harry's beds and stood over Harry's unmoving form, smirking. Draco leant over Harry. The boy's arm still covered his eyes, his glasses thrown haphazardly on the dresser. Harry moved his head slightly to the left as if trying to check Draco was still there. Draco leaned even closer: he was sure now.

"How about 'you can't move your arms, can you Potter?'" Draco smirked at the boy's intake of breath at hearing Malfoy so close, saying exactly what he didn't want to hear him say.

"No. I don't like that name either." Harry said wryly, in spite of his current, and most compromising, position.

"What about… hmm… let me see… 'I could do _anything_ to you now and you couldn't stop me'" Draco smirked down at the vulnerable boy gleefully.

This was exactly what Harry had been afraid of.

"You're weak." Draco grinned, as Harry tried to roll away; he caught him by the shoulder and pinned his limp arms either side of his head, leaning over him threateningly he sneered nastily; "You're pathetic."

"If either one of us is pathetic, Malfoy," Harry spat bravely- though, it was all bravado, as he was unable to do anything more than hurl insults in his defense "then it'd be the one of us who has to wait for someone to be helpless before he can hurt them… there's a word for that Malfoy-"

"Slytherin?" Draco cut in smirking.

Draco stared down. He could get away with anything, and yet he couldn't clearly decide exactly what it was he wanted to do to the boy. He knew that if he caused any physical harm he'd be boneless, so to speak, in seconds- so that took a lot of the fun out of the majority of his ideas. He'd taunt him for a while first; make him sweat.

"So, what shall I do with you now, Potter?" Draco drawled, grinning down, full force at Harry.

"Quit stalling and do whatever you're going to do. I'm not scared, Malfoy; you don't have the guts to do anything!" Harry goaded.

Draco's temper flared; he raised his fist, ready to slam it down into Harry's face, when he caught himself and recognised Harry's jibe for what it was. He narrowed his eyes, lowered the fist and smirked.

"Not bad, Potter. You almost had me: one punch and we'd have a role reversal. I want to draw this out as bit… so, just tell me when you want me to stop." He grinned sadistically "and I'll know I'm doing well."

* * *

That's all for now folks- maybe the next update will be sooner… depends on reviews and spare time.

UST- unresolved sexual tension – yeah you know it ;-) hehe!

Review!


	4. Underestimation&Humiliation

**Previously**:

"_Not bad, Potter. You almost had me: one punch and we'd have a role reversal. I want to draw this out as bit… so, just tell me when you want me to stop." He grinned sadistically "and I'll know I'm doing well."_

**Chapter 4 – Underestimation & Humiliation **

Harry was suddenly very aware that Malfoy had him pinned to a mattress, completely helpless, in their own room where nobody would disturb them, and that he was, even now, straddling Harry's hips, staring down into Harry's eyes (with what Harry's brain kept suggesting was a very sultry look).

Harry wanted to get this over with so he could stop taking Malfoy's every word the wrong way: Harry's brain, for no apparent reason, kept making everything worse than it should have been.

Malfoy grinned down sardonically, Harry's brain decided it was a feral grin and prompted him to ask Draco if he'd ever considered life as a dominatrix. Harry clamped his jaw shut tightly.

He wanted Malfoy off him. He was getting uncomfortable with the images his brain was providing of all the things that could possibly happen (or if he listened to his more conscious mind _couldn't_ possibly happen).

"You can't actually do anything to me Malfoy: you hurt me, we switch. What can you actually do?"

"I was thinking the very same thing. But I, unlike you, can think beyond the limitations. Physical pain only goes so far anyway-"

"But I'm only physically disabled, not mentally or emotionally or whatever… so what can you do that you don't normally. You have no greater advantage now than any other time." Harry said attempting to roll Draco off and failing miserably. Draco sneered at his attempt: he actually looked genuinely amused.

"Suffer you the worst humiliation of your life Potter, that's what!" Draco grinned gleefully.

Draco leaned towards Harry, then grinned nastily and jerked away, hopping off Harry and off the bed. Harry rocked gracelessly, attempting to roll into a sitting position to see what Draco was doing; his arms weighed at his sides and hindered his movement.

Draco opened the chest that was at the foot of Harry's bed. He glanced back at Harry, who had rolled onto his front, curled up and used his face to push himself up to a kneeling position on the bed. He looked over his shoulder as Draco grinned and began to rummage through the trunk.

"What are you doing?"

"Pressing my advantage." Draco didn't look up, but began to throws things over his shoulder- it seemed like he was trying to break anything he could, which he was.

Harry moved to the edge of the bed and slipped off, made his way towards Draco, who, while aware of him, was ignoring him completely: this irked Harry- _Malfoy didn't even seem to consider him a threat now!_

He used his knee to push the lid of the chest forward, trying to slam it on Draco. The other boy caught the lid easily- he'd been expecting it- and stood quickly, tripping Harry helplessly to the floor with a fluid motion.

Draco supported his bodyweight gently all the way down: it didn't hurt… and it was weird, because Draco was practically lying on top of Harry. And Harry was sure he hadn't learned to do that from any dual: trying not to harm his enemies wasn't Malfoy-esque. It felt strange: he'd tried to put his arms out, but they were, as promised, completely unresponsive. Draco grinned again.

"You know, Potter; seeing you like this is almost making this whole thing worthwhile. I'm quite enjoying myself right now." He rose from his perch over Harry's prone form "Now where was I? Ah yes, I remember: humiliating you."

He bent back over the chest and practically cackled- Harry couldn't see what he'd got, but he was sure anything that could produce that sound from Malfoy was bad news for him. And he was sure he knew what it was Malfoy would be holding when he turned around.

Sure enough a black leather-bound book, that Harry had thought nobody but him would ever read, was clutched in his hands as he sat down on Harry's bed.

Harry did his rolling trick again, feeling very foolish as he tried to get to his feet. Malfoy laughed.

"If 'The Dark Lord' could see you now! If he knew he'd been beaten by… this! ...how many times is it now?" Malfoy trailed off, laughing.

Harry stood, his face scarlet; he was embarrassed, but he knew the book was not muggle-brought, so only he could open it. Malfoy couldn't use it against him. He was almost relieved to be getting away with the current humiliation. Not even Ron and Hermione had read any of his diary.

Draco was examining the book closely, but he could see Harry in his peripheral. He walked towards Draco, but instead of attacking or shouting, he sat down on Draco's bed opposite where Draco was sitting and watched him. Draco smirked whilst still inspecting the book: Harry was underestimating him again.

Harry stared as Draco ran his fingers, then his wand over the pages, whispered a few incoherent words and pressed the closed book between his palms. When Draco opened the book, Harry could see his own untidy scrawl across the pages. Draco looked up and grinned.

"Never underestimate a Slytherin, Potter, especially if he also happens to be a Malfoy. It could well be the last thing you ever do."

Harry's face was burning, and he rose and charged in a desperate attempt to stop Draco from reading. However the blonde boy had been expecting this- he could have cast a body bind to stop him, but instead he used Harry's own momentum and body weight to sling him over into a heap on his bed. It was more humiliating to make Harry squirm beneath him as he read his diary: Draco leaned over from his perch atop Harry's waist to retrieve the book that had tumbled when they had.

Draco placed the book on Harry's chest and began flicking through, his eyes scanning quickly over the words. Harry watched his eyes, dreading the moment he knew was coming; they widened and he smiled.

"Potter! Not as inexperienced as I thought, but even more _gay_ than I could have imagined; _'it hurt that first time I felt him inside me, but I felt so complete' _I knew you were a bloody faggot Potter!" Malfoy laughed, staring at Harry's red face.

Harry's eyes were squeezed shut and it looked like he would either cry or lose his temper and kill Malfoy: It could have gone either way, but as it happened it went the latter of the two. Harry jerked forward suddenly, tried to sit up, attempting to head-butt Malfoy in the face, but the blonde simply pressed a hand to Harry's forehead, pushing him back down to the mattress, then he smiled and continued to read silently, before looking up and addressing Harry once more

"I'm not surprised you're bottom either, Potter: you do write like a girl…" he read under his breath for a moment grinning inanely, "except your hand-writing's appalling:" He muttered "what does that word say?" he turned the book around and held it in front of Harry, who only glared at Malfoy's glee-filled face and breathed in a shaky breath.

"why are you still sitting on me" he ground out "considering I'm a _faggot_ I would have thought you'd feel more comfortable further away"

"I'm flattered that you fancy me, Potter- and unsurprised- but I wouldn't miss the front row seats to this humiliation. I like being able to see your face while I read your deepest, darkest secrets"

Harry went red; with anger or embarrassment or both, but certainly red. "I may be gay but I'm not deaf dumb and blind, Malfoy: nobody in their right mind would find you attractive!"

Malfoy came close to hitting Harry then, but instead he just laughed; which only infuriated Harry more. Draco moved the hand from Harry's forehead to his throat, only resting it, not pressing down.

"Oooh, another time, another boy: quite the little whore, aren't you? slept around haven't you Potter…? Are you always bottom?" he said staring at Harry's still-red face. Harry tried to sit up again, forcing Malfoy's hand against his throat: Harry choked, but remained pinned by Draco's still-strong arm. Malfoy laughed hysterically as Harry coughed.

"Run into my fist and say I punched you, Potter? This spell understands intentions."

Tears of pain were spilling down Harry's cheeks, but they were also because of his shame and anger.

Malfoy went back to reading "My, my, Potter! This is good stuff _'when Jack ran his hand up my thigh, I couldn't help but shiver. But when he pounded into me I cried out so loud, that I'm sure I woke everyone in the house.'_ it's a bit like porn, isn't it, Potter?" Malfoy sneered. He stopped then and considered Harry: his face was turned to the side, tears streaming down, wetting the mattress, his eyes shut and his bottom lip clamped firmly between his teeth.

"You know, you really shouldn't keep a diary, Potter. Firstly it's a very girly habit- but then, you _are_ gay- and secondly, if anyone were to find out the secrets in these pages… well you can't imagine the things death eaters can do with this kind of information- can you say InFiltration…?- not to mention what the press would _love_ to do with this. Rita Skeeta would have a field day…"

Harry's eyes shot open and his head turned quickly: he said nothing, but stared imploringly at Malfoy.

"Why shouldn't I send it to her, Potter?"

"You can't prove I wrote it."

"don't be an idiot, Potter: we live in a magic castle- of course we can prove you wrote it… and besides, everyone would believe it whether it was true or not."

Harry knew that was true from experience: they would believe whatever was written about him, without-bloody-question. This irked Harry more than a little: he saved everyone and they believe stupid lies about him.

"Don't, Draco." Harry whispered. "You're right…they'd believe it. Please don't do it."

"Hmmm…. '_Please' _? Not very compelling… hadn't occurred to me you'd even try that one…" Malfoy sneered, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you want, Malfoy?"

Draco Malfoy smiled his nastiest smile yet.

* * *

**I'll write more soon. Sorry it's been…. It's probably more than a year isn't it? well sorry anyhow… xxtOxx**


	5. Break Me

**Previously:**

"_What do you want, Malfoy?"_

_Draco Malfoy smiled his nastiest smile yet. _

**Chapter 5 – Break Me**

"Read to me."

"What?!" Harry exploded.

"You heard."

"Read _this_ to you?"

Draco nodded.

"No!" Harry cried.

"Potter, I'm not really giving you a choice. Ok, well there's always a choice; cake or death and all that-"

"What? How do you know-?"

"Never mind that, Potter. Read to me or I'll send every damn word to the press."

"All of it?"

"Every word-"

"No; I meant, do I have to read all of it?"

"No. I'll pick some bits…"

There was silence for a moment while Draco leafed through the book.

"Why, Draco? I don't get it: why this?"

"Because I get to see you reading out your inner most thoughts to your worst enemy; the person you'd least want to hear them… it's all very delicious… and rather obvious, I thought. You don't have one Slytherin bone in your body, do you Potter?"

Harry blushed violent red and looked away. It was a combination of the realisation of reading his journal to Malfoy; knowing he could have been in Slytherin and hearing Draco say the words 'a Slytherin bone in your body' (Harry's mind had filled in the 'would you like one?' follow-on line.)

"How do I know you won't just tell everyone anyway, once I've read it to you?"

"Hmmm… well, you _could_ trust me? Isn't that the point of this 'punishment'?"

"I thought we agreed you couldn't be trusted." Harry frowned.

"Well, when I agree with you, you're probably right. And there's a first time for everything."

"So…?"

"Do I have to come up with all the ideas?!"

"Malfoy, you live in your own autocratic little world; there would be no point in _anyone_ suggesting anything to you, least of all me!"

"Hmm… good point; I _am_ in charge here. Right, well; I _could_ let you Obviliate me once you've read it- but you've got no arms and I'm not sure I want to lose these memories-"

"How about I Obviliate you once I get my strength back?" Harry suggested; Draco ignored him and continued to muse.

"-Plus you'd probably wipe my entire memory: I'm not sure I want your wand anywhere near my head…"

"You'd probably only do the whole thing again if I wiped your memory anyway…" Harry muttered in resignation.

"That's true: this is very true to my character and if I didn't know I'd already done it, I'd almost certainly do it again." Draco said smugly.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Draco laughed.

"Because it's cruel beyond belief!" Harry spat, attempting one last stand against the blackmail.

"Your point being…?"

"Even you can't possibly be _entirely_ mean…?"

"Slytherin! …and Malfoy too actually! I don't see how you can possibly still be in any doubt that I am 'this mean' and that I am cruel and evil and blah, blah, blah! I thought you knew me, Potter?" Draco looked down at Harry, then back at the book, flipping through the pages again.

"I do have one idea… but it's y'know… a bit grown up… not sure you'd be up for it, Potter…" Draco said, glancing up at Harry though his hair.

"What are you trying to goad me in to now, Malfoy?" Harry asked, rolling his eyes.

"Ever heard of an Unbreakable Vow, Potter?" Draco said seriously, looking up from the book and staring at Harry's eyes. Harry shook his head.

"Well, as the name implies, it's a promise that can't be broken. I'll make one with you that I won't breathe a word of this to anyone-"

"Why?" Harry interrupted suspiciously.

"Because you won't take my word for it, so, being the gentleman that I am, I'm trying to offer you an assurance-"

"And that's the part I don't get! You just assured me that you were an evil bastard, so why would you tell me about something that would make you keep your word? You could torture me far more by telling everyone about this. You could even have made up this 'Unbreakable Vow' thing just to taunt me some more for all I know!" Harry ranted.

"It hurts me that you don't feel you can trust me, Harry…" Draco feigned hurt, then smirked and made to get off of Harry. As he walked across the room towards his trunk, Harry rolled his eyes.

"Have I ever told you how much you piss me off?" Harry growled.

"No actually. But I can normally tell… all the same, hearing the words means a lot to me." Draco winked, then rooted through the chest for a moment and pulled out a heavy leather-bound book.

"My father gave it to me," Draco muttered as he flicked through the pages. "No, it's not dark magic." He said without looking up, as Harry opened his mouth to ask. "You may be surprised to know we have an entire library with many, many books that are not at all evil…" Draco continued distractedly.

Then, a minute later, Draco shocked Harry by cackling with glee as he found the page and strode back to the bed. He held the book open before Harry, who was now sitting on the edge of the bed. Sure enough the page heading was 'The Unbreakable Vow'. Harry read a few lines.

"Malfoy…? It says it'll kill you if you break it… and I don't trust you, even on your life. Dumbledore will kill me if I kill you… well, probably…possibly…"

"I wouldn't have thought his spell would let us go the full whack anyway…despite this exercise being about trust I don't expect they trust us at all… hypocrites! We'll do the dimmed-down version of the spell- less risky… plus also, we'd have to have a witness for the full potency version- and I think that's something you'd probably like to avoid." Draco grinned, then looked at the book again.

Harry nodded. "Ok…so it's an Unlikely-to-Breakable spell?" He raised an eyebrow. "What does it threaten instead of your life?"

"You get to choose. Within reason."

"Good. We'll do it. Do you have the ingredients?"

"We don't actually need anything but our wands…"

"How serious is the punishment for breaking the vow allowed to be?" Harry asked, almost smiling.

"According to the book, anything but death. But if you're asking my opinion…? make sure it's bad, Potter, or I _will_ tell." He smiled horribly and held out his hand.

"You ready? It's easy. You take my hand, I make my promise, then we touch a wand to our hands and it binds them with a tongue of flame…"

Harry looked over the words in the book; he was surprised that Draco was not only telling the truth, but volunteering it. He still didn't trust him, but the offer seemed too good not to. Even if the spell did nothing to stop Draco telling everyone, Harry wasn't losing anything by making him take the vow, so why not?

He tried to lift his arm, then looked up at Draco, who was trying not to laugh. Harry glared.

"Little help here?" he said darkly.

"Sorry" Draco laughed, "I just had to wait until I knew you'd tried…" Draco took his hand: it was odd how Harry could feel Draco's hand on his, even though he had no strength and no control over his arms.

Draco held his wand against their joined hands and begun his promise.

"I promise I will not breathe a word of this, meaning Potter being gay or anything from his diary, to anybody else in the entire world. If I break my word then…?"

"May you always be sexually frustrated and never satisfied, to the point where your hair falls out and you wish to be a eunuch." Harry said proudly, and Draco nodded.

The tongue of flame engulfed their connected hands and the vow was sealed.

Draco held his wand against their hands for a moment after the flame had vanished, then stood up to retrieve the diary from the other side of the bed. Harry sat on the edge of the bed, slightly more satisfied until he realised what was coming next.

Draco yanked Harry backwards onto the bed and straddled him once again.

"Dammit Draco! That hurt! And why must you keep sitting on me? I thought I was the gay one! And I still can't move my arms!"

"I didn't mean to hurt you…" Draco looked like he was almost going to blush, "I just wanted to pin you down while you read to me…" he said quietly.

"You, Draco Malfoy, are a conniving bastard. Get off me."

"No. Now…read to me!" Draco held out the diary, Harry stared up at it and sighed.

"Can I sit up?" Harry said after a moment. Draco lifted himself slightly, but made no move to get off. He grabbed Harry's shoulders and pulled him up, then sat back in his lap and held the book open against his own chest.

"Start here." Draco commanded, looking down and pointing. Harry scanned the page; Draco had managed to find one of the most explicit parts in the whole damn book! And, dammit, there was a part about his type on the next page and he just knew Draco would look so smug at that point…He blushed and began to read.

Four minutes later Harry looked up from the page. Draco's cheeks were a little pink, and, Harry noticed, his eyes were looking very… in fact, he generally looked quite turned on. Harry actually smiled.

"You getting a little hot under the collar, Malfoy?" he gloated.

Draco raised an eyebrow. He shifted his hips against Harry's. Evidently he wasn't as turned on as he appeared to be from what Harry had felt; although, the movement certainly stirred something in the region of Harry's groin. _'Remember'_ his brain murmured to his body _'we hate him!'_

"Sorry, Potter. I know I'm just your type," he leered, then smirked, "but you're not getting lucky tonight- I'm not a batty-boy. Now if you'll excuse me… I have to write my mother a letter."

"Ok, sure Draco… a letter…" Harry slumped back onto the bed as Draco strutted away. He turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, glad that at least the reading was over. And only a few hours more and it would be time for the switch over and he could Draco-proof everything against future attacks; though the phrase 'locking the stable door after the horse has bolted' kept trotting through his mind.

hdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhdhd

Right. This is a first draft so there's prolly typo's and punctuation errors, i hope nobody's too distracted by that, 'cause i'm just aiming to entertain here.I hope it's passable, even though I know it's not great. I'm sorry if the Unbreakable Vow medium-strength-edition is lame: it seemed like a good idea at the time, but well….. you know how it is…? maybe…? Anyways… I'm sure there are other things that are annoying… I know there's a lot of dialogue in this chapter… but I like writing dialogue so… anyways I've babbled enough.

Hope you enjoyed! Leave reviews, if you have questions, criticisms or suggestions! Thanks xxtOxx


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